Riding A Motorcycle

Two men robbed a bank Wednesday morning, escaping on a motorcycle ahead of 12 officers, including motorcyclists.One of the men who took an undetermined amount of cash at the Seminole National Bank, 1780 Airport Blvd., was carrying a silver-colored handgun.Descriptions are sketchy from the 9:30 a.m. robbery. Witnesses said the passenger was wearing baggy camouflage pants and a red helmet with a clear face panel. The driver was wearing a gray jacket inscribed with the word ''Maui.'' The motorcycle is believed to be a Kawasaki dirt bike.

OSCEOLA COUNTY--Like riding a motorcycle? The fourth annual USO Operation Care Package benefit ride is Sunday. Bikers will meet at 10:30 a.m. at Osceola Heritage Park near Kissimmee and ride 80 miles through Osceola County. The ride ends at noon with lunch, a silent auction and a custom-and-classic motorbike show. This year's ride is dedicated to Jason Burnett, a 20-year-old lance corporal and St. Cloud resident who was killed with three other Marines in May 2006 when their tank plunged off a bridge during a combat patrol in Iraq.

BOGOTA, Colombia -- Gunmen riding a motorcycle killed a regional leader of Colombia's main left-leaning political party, police said Friday, as party lawmakers warned Congress of a plot by right-wing paramilitary fighters to assassinate them. Carlos Bernal, the head of the opposition Independent Democratic Pole party for the Norte de Santander region and a member of the nation's Permanent Committee for Human Rights, was killed Thursday night along with a bodyguard in the city of Cucuta, 250 miles northeast of Bogota, the capital.

Jay Williams was riding a week-old Yahama when he crashed into a pole on the north side of Chicago in June 2003. The Chicago Bulls' top draft pick in 2002 hasn't played a professional basketball game since then. Kellen Winslow Jr. was riding a month-old Suzuki, attempting tricks in an empty parking lot, when he fell off in May 2005. The Cleveland Browns' first-round pick missed the 2005 season. And now Ben Roethlisberger, the 24-year-old Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback who led his team to its first Super Bowl victory in more than a quarter-century, is recovering in a Pittsburgh hospital after being thrown from his motorcycle into the windshield of a car. He wasn't wearing a helmet.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana -- Two police officers riding a motorcycle were killed when a car struck them from behind on a highway outside Guyana's capital, police said. Constables Andrew Hamid, 30, and Balkarran Rumkoobair, 29, were hit on a darkened stretch of road just west of Georgetown, police said. Police detained the unidentified 42-year-old driver of the car and could charge him with vehicular manslaughter today. Police have so far ruled the crash an accident.

DAYTONA BEACH -- A man and a woman riding a motorcycle with a Florida license plate received life-threatening head injuries early today when the motorcycle flipped after hitting a grassy median on Nova Road at International Speedway Boulevard, authorities said. No identities were released. The couple were riding north on Nova Road without helmets. Also on Monday, Daytona Beach police identified a pedestrian who was struck and killed by a motorcyclist as Gerald M. Hantz, 57. Hantz, who has no local address, crossed the path of a motorcycle traveling south on Ridgewood Avenue, police said.

An Orlando man has been charged with failure to yield the right of way after his car ran into a deputy sheriff on a motorcycle in east Orange County, the Florida Highway Patrol said.Troopers said Jack Stemper, 23, 4745 Walden Circle, Orlando, was headed south on Econlockhatchee Trail and trying to turn left onto Lake Underhill Drive when he struck Orange County Deputy Mike Wagganer about 8 a.m. Wednesday.Wagganer was riding a motorcycle west on Lake Underhill, troopers said. Both men had been stopped at a four-way stop sign.

A Winter Haven resident riding a motorcycle died early Saturday after being rear-ended by another motorist on U.S. Highway 27 near Clermont, the Florida Highway Patrol reported. The man, whose identity was not released Saturday because his family had yet to be notified, overtook a 1992 Toyota Camry while driving south near Vista Del Lago Boulevard at 12:01 a.m. The Camry then struck the motorcycle from the rear, the FHP said. Jackie Schwid, the Camry driver, told troopers she did not see the 2004 ASPT motorcycle.

Two people were killed Friday night when their motorcycles collided head-on, the Florida Highway Patrol said.Troopers said Kim Douglas of New Smyrna Beach was riding a motorcycle south on State Road 415, near State Road 44, at about 10 p.m. when she tried to pass a car in front of her. She ran into another motorcycle that was traveling north on S.R. 415.Douglas, 44, and the other driver, whose name is being withheld pending family notification, were thrown...

IN RESPONSE to the letter from James Jessup about the dangers of riding a motorcycle without a helmet: As an avid biker of many years and many miles, I fully agree that riding without a helmet is risky business. In fact, riding a motorcycle -- with or without a helmet -- is inherently dangerous. However, I am sure that Jessup would also agree that many people die in automobile crashes, because of head injuries. Requiring helmets to operate any moving vehicle would make everyone safer and would, undoubtedly, save many lives.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana -- Two police officers riding a motorcycle were killed when a car struck them from behind on a highway outside Guyana's capital, police said. Constables Andrew Hamid, 30, and Balkarran Rumkoobair, 29, were hit on a darkened stretch of road just west of Georgetown, police said. Police detained the unidentified 42-year-old driver of the car and could charge him with vehicular manslaughter today. Police have so far ruled the crash an accident.

A Winter Haven resident riding a motorcycle died early Saturday after being rear-ended by another motorist on U.S. Highway 27 near Clermont, the Florida Highway Patrol reported. The man, whose identity was not released Saturday because his family had yet to be notified, overtook a 1992 Toyota Camry while driving south near Vista Del Lago Boulevard at 12:01 a.m. The Camry then struck the motorcycle from the rear, the FHP said. Jackie Schwid, the Camry driver, told troopers she did not see the 2004 ASPT motorcycle.

BOGOTA, Colombia -- Gunmen riding a motorcycle killed a regional leader of Colombia's main left-leaning political party, police said Friday, as party lawmakers warned Congress of a plot by right-wing paramilitary fighters to assassinate them. Carlos Bernal, the head of the opposition Independent Democratic Pole party for the Norte de Santander region and a member of the nation's Permanent Committee for Human Rights, was killed Thursday night along with a bodyguard in the city of Cucuta, 250 miles northeast of Bogota, the capital.

LEESBURG -- There's a saying among bikers emblazoned on inky tattoos and colorful patches everywhere: If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand. The feeling of riding a motorcycle, speeding down the highway, hair whipping in the wind, the sun and sky in your face -- it's hard to put in words, said Alan Von Hartman, owner of the Saddle Tramps Motorcycle Shop in Leesburg and a bike rider since the age of 16. "You feel 10 feet tall and bulletproof," he said. The Motorcycle Industry Council estimates 12.4 million people nationwide ride motorcycles -- more than 700,000 of them living in Florida.

DAYTONA BEACH -- A man and a woman riding a motorcycle with a Florida license plate received life-threatening head injuries early today when the motorcycle flipped after hitting a grassy median on Nova Road at International Speedway Boulevard, authorities said. No identities were released. The couple were riding north on Nova Road without helmets. Also on Monday, Daytona Beach police identified a pedestrian who was struck and killed by a motorcyclist as Gerald M. Hantz, 57. Hantz, who has no local address, crossed the path of a motorcycle traveling south on Ridgewood Avenue, police said.

SANFORD -- Susan Burrell sometimes feels the need for speed. But when flying an airplane or riding a motorcycle, her driving force is precision and accuracy. "I love to fly and ride motorcycles because it's pure freedom, but accuracy is important for me, being able to control complex machinery while going at excessive speeds," Burrell said. "I like to do something that takes thought and is challenging, that hinges on accuracy, and the stakes are high when mistakes are made." There is no room for mistakes in Burrell's business.

Two brothers were listed in serious condition Tuesday at Halifax Medical Center after a car slammed into their motorcycle.Steven and Greg Koenig were riding a motorcycle west on Herbert Street about 3:30 p.m. Monday when a northbound car driven by Ruth Marie Soke, 75, failed to yield at a stop sign on Lafayette Avenue, said police spokesman Mike Sheridan. Her car hit the left side of the motorcycle, Sheridan said.Steven Koenig, 52, of 625 N. Halifax Ave., had a fractured pelvis and his lower left leg was amputated, hospital officials said.

OSCEOLA COUNTY--Like riding a motorcycle? The fourth annual USO Operation Care Package benefit ride is Sunday. Bikers will meet at 10:30 a.m. at Osceola Heritage Park near Kissimmee and ride 80 miles through Osceola County. The ride ends at noon with lunch, a silent auction and a custom-and-classic motorbike show. This year's ride is dedicated to Jason Burnett, a 20-year-old lance corporal and St. Cloud resident who was killed with three other Marines in May 2006 when their tank plunged off a bridge during a combat patrol in Iraq.

IN RESPONSE to the letter from James Jessup about the dangers of riding a motorcycle without a helmet: As an avid biker of many years and many miles, I fully agree that riding without a helmet is risky business. In fact, riding a motorcycle -- with or without a helmet -- is inherently dangerous. However, I am sure that Jessup would also agree that many people die in automobile crashes, because of head injuries. Requiring helmets to operate any moving vehicle would make everyone safer and would, undoubtedly, save many lives.

VOLUMES COULD be written in response to Richard Hardman's letter Sunday, regarding the unlucky motorcyclist who was killed on the first day the helmet law was rescinded. However, he is dead wrong in his attempt to hold politicians accountable for the death. Wearing a helmet should be strictly a matter of personal choice for the rider. The government should make it clear that individuals are responsible for their actions and that those who wish to remove themselves from the gene pool by not wearing a helmet or other safety gear should bear the consequences.